Team Abu Dhabi's Thani Al Qamzi enjoyed a stunning return to UIM F1 H20 racing action by taking second place behind defending World Champion Alex Carella in Monday's 20th Grand Prix of China on Liuzhou's Liu River.
Carella led the 39-lap race from the start to claim a hat trick of wins at the popular Chinese venue, but both Al Qamzi and Team Abu Dhabi colleague Ahmed Al Hameli were forced to battle their way through the field from ninth and tenth positions.
Al Qamzi looked to have finished the race in third place and in front of the hard-charging American Shaun Torrente until Sweden's Erik Stark — who had crossed the finish line in second place — was awarded a penalty for striking a course turn buoy. He slipped to fifth and promoted a delighted Al Qamzi to second and equal second in the UIM F1 H20 Drivers' Championship points' standings.
"This was a challenging race and we had to battle hard for our position from the start,” said Al Qamzi. "We missed the first race in Qatar in March and it's great to come back with a podium finish in China and to stay in contention for the title after two rounds.”
Al Hameli moved up from 10th during the race and was running in a solid fifth place before hitting technical trouble within sight of the finish. He had completed sufficient laps, however, to earn two points for a ninth-place finish.
Germany's Mike Szymura won both of the F-4S Trophy races from the impressive Australian youngster Rigby Briney. Mohamed Al Mehairbi and Rashed Al Remeithi shared driving responsibilities for Team Abu Dhabi and reached the chequered flag in fifth and seventh positions in their respective races.
Source: Khaleej Times